


With A Sprig of Mistletoe

by destroyerofhearts



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Declarations Of Love, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 15:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9079075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destroyerofhearts/pseuds/destroyerofhearts
Summary: Merlin was to arrive home on Christmas day, and it was Arthur's sole responsibility to pick him up from the airport. However, it was by choice that Arthur was finally going to tell Merlin exactly how he felt.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So uh....I saw this news story about a guy rushing to the airport with some mistletoe and it screamed 'Merthur' so here we are. A short little thing, even if it is technically past the festive season.
> 
> https://www.indy100.com/article/love-actually-christmas-airport-man-twitter-scene-hugh-grant-film-7494361

Merlin was to arrive home on Christmas day, and it was Arthur's sole responsibility to pick him up from the airport.

However, it was by choice that Arthur was finally going to tell Merlin exactly how he felt. He could do this. He _had_ to.

He just had no idea as to how he would go about doing so.

\---

On Christmas Eve, Arthur was all jittery and wound up at Morgana's festive dinner. He was missing his best friend, feeling strange that this was the first Christmas Eve in a while when Merlin hadn't been here. But he was also stressed because he hadn't thought of a brilliant way to confess. Add some nervousness into the mix about the prospect of revealing his true feelings to someone he cared about deeply, and he was hardly able to keep still.

"Picking up Merlin tomorrow has gotten you all worked up," Morgana commented off-handedly, swirling the wine around in her glass.

Arthur's eyes widened. "How'd you guess that?"

She hummed. "I think it has something to do with instinct, my high intelligence, and the fact that I've known you forever."

"Or the fact that you're a witch," he grumbled under his breath. Morgana heard and laughed.

"So, what's the plan to confess?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

"Excuse me?"

She raised an eyebrow, challenging him. "I'm not stupid, Arthur. You're not stressed about the traffic, or Merlin's flight coming on time. You're finally manning up to admit how you feel."

He crossed his arms. "You harpy! How the hell did you know that!?" he exclaimed.

"I'm psychic," she whispered as though it were a genuine secret to have. "So. Roses or chocolates?"

Arthur just sniffed. "Neither. I don't need any of that, just my good looking self and natural charm."

Morgana barked out another laugh. "It's Merlin, I think you should at least attempt to woo him," she chuckled.

"Ok, but I'm not going to be able to get roses or chocolate now that it's the evening and tomorrow's a public holiday, now am I?" he retorted but it had little bite. Morgana's words had only served to worry him even more.

"Gwen!" Morgana called out into the midst of the party. In a matter of seconds, Gwen had made her way through the crowd to Morgana's side.

"What's the matter?" she asked as soon as she reached them. 

"What should Arthur do, or take, in order to woo Merlin at the airport tomorrow morning?" she asked with an air of nonchalance. Gwen frowned in thought.

"Ooo, that's a hard one, given it's so late," she said, not even commenting on what Arthur would expect to be a surprise if Morgana had just revealed how he felt about Merlin.

"How the hell do you both know how I feel about Merlin? Is it that obvious?" Arthur asked, exasperated.

"Oh, sweetheart, you've never been subtle, but it's adorable that you think you have," Morgana teased. Arthur growled at her.

"You could serenade him?" Gwen suggested, cocking her head.

"No. No way," Arthur shook his head. "I _refuse_ to humiliate myself like that at the international arrivals."

"Hmm, alright..." she hummed, going back to thinking.

"I think humiliation is the way to go, actually," Morgana pitched in.

"Oh, you would," Arthur scowled. She just smiled in return.

"Ooo! Bring him some kind of baked treat. Cupcakes! Love confession cupcakes! That would be adorable!" Gwen practically squealed in excitement at the prospect.

"Err...I don't know-"

"Oh, that is a brilliant idea Gwen, but it's rather a shame that Arthur's cooking skills are...well, let's just say we would rather Merlin didn't get food poisoning," Morgana cut in smoothly.

"Oi!" Arthur cried out, offended. His cooking and baking had never been amazing, but it was certainly passable.

"Hmm, well maybe it's not the thing for you, Arthur," Gwen sighed. 

"I think not," he mumbled.

"I'm not really sure, Arthur. I'm really sorry," Gwen said, looking rather put out about it.

"It's not a problem, I'm sure I'll come up with something. But thanks for trying," Arthur told her, giving her a soft smile.

She smiled back, and began to head back toward the group of people. But as she passed through one of the entrance's, Lancelot passed through at the same time. And above their heads was a sprig of mistletoe. 

Arthur could physically feel the smirk coming from Morgana who stood next to him. They watched as the couple both started out flustered, blushing and stammering with apologies all round. Then, with a fair bit of sweetness, they leaned in for a short kiss which quickly turned into something much longer. 

"Finally," Morgana sighed next to him. 

"You matchmaking harpy," Arthur mused, rolling his eyes.

"Their pining has been even more painful than yours for Merlin, if you can believe it. It's Christmas, for fuck's sake. And mistletoe is the perfect festive thing to push love in the right direction," she explained, and then walked away from Arthur.

In his mind, the cogs were turning and an idea was beginning to form in his head. What if...

"Hey! Morgana! Do you have more of that mistletoe?" he called out, chasing after her.

\---

Thus, Arthur was driving in a frenzy to the airport come Christmas morning, a bunch of mistletoe lying on the seat next to him. 

Was it a stupid idea? Probably. But right now, it was all he had, and he had to take this chance. 

Finally arriving at the airport, he parked his car and headed straight for the arrivals gate, the mistletoe in hand. He probably looked slightly crazed; he'd hardly slept, too excited, too nervous, too emotional. As he waited, he was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, eyeing the exit, his heart thrumming. Every time someone else walked through the gate his heart would jump, stomach would clench, and adrenaline would race through him again and again. Soon enough he was pacing up and down, unable to keep his eyes off the gate though he knew he should look away for his own sanity. 

As soon as he saw the familiar black mop of hair, lean figure and the awfully bright red neckerchief that Merlin would insist on wearing during the winter months, Arthur felt as though he could hardly breathe. 

_He had arrived._

Merlin hadn't yet spotted Arthur, and there was a part of him that thought he should quickly throw the mistletoe away. This was stupid! Merlin didn't love him, he was going to ruin their friendship for nothing.

 _No, Arthur, you're going through with this_ , he told himself, determined to do this. He had to take the chance.

He flung the mistletoe behind his back just as Merlin spotted him. With a grin and a wave, Merlin began to make his way towards Arthur. 

_Oh god. This is it. This is the moment._

"Hello, prat, and Merry Christmas!" Merlin greeted him cheerily, and flung his arms around him in a hug.

"Merry Christmas, idiot," Arthur smiled, awkwardly hugging him back with one arm so as to keep the mistletoe out of sight.

"I'm so glad to be home, though I'm sad I missed Morgana's. Was it good? I hope she didn't mind that I couldn't make it," Merlin rambled, unaware he was doing so. All Arthur could do was stare in complete adoration, his body not allowing him to do anything else.

"But hi ho, I'm here! Is something the matter, Arthur? You look rather flushed," he asked, a cute frown forming on his face. "Nothing's the matter, is it?"

"Er, no, well, you see, ah," Arthur began, panicking as the words just weren't coming out of his head right! "I, well, um...I brought you mistletoe!" he announced, flinging it out from behind his back.

"Oh! How nice, very festive," Merlin smiled. 

"Yes! I mean, ah, no. Well, that's not its purpose. To be festive, that is. I could have brought numerous other things that were festive! Haha ha..." Arthur trailed off, scratching his head and feeling rather awkward.

"Um, ok?" Merlin looked bemused, and Arthur had to concentrate very hard so he wouldn't just drool at the sight.

"Ugh. I'm not saying this right at all," he berated himself.

"Saying what right?" he asked, looking at Arthur with those big, blue eyes, a great deal of worry hidden within his expression.

"Well, um, what I'm trying to say, because mistletoe, right? If you're caught under the mistletoe with someone you're supposed to kiss them," Arthur started, cringing inwardly at how badly this was going. Why couldn't he just say how he felt in a straight forward way.

"Go on..." Merlin pressed with curiosity.

"I, er, brought mistletoe because it's a festive thing, but also a...romantic thing."

Merlin just blinked. Arthur bit his lip, flushing in embarrassment at how terribly this was going and he looked down, unable to meet Merlin's gaze.

"What I'm saying, not very well, is I thought I'd bring along some mistletoe when picking you up today so I could confess my, ah, love...for you," he finally managed, blushing madly. 

_God, could you be any less romantic?_

 "You love me," Merlin stated after a long moment of silence.

"Yes?"

"And you brought me mistletoe to try and tell me that," he continued.

"Um, yeah? Kinda stupid, I know-"

"So why aren't we kissing?" he asked, smirking at the way Arthur seemed to blush even more than before.

"Uh, well-"

Before he could continue further with incoherent speech, Merlin cut him off by pressing his lips to Arthur's. He let out a noise in surprise, but was not deterred by the fact he was finally, _finally_ , kissing the man he loved. He kissed back, loving the way Merlin's lips felt against his, plump, and cool, and slightly chapped from the plane and the cold. It didn't take too long before the kiss divulged into tongues, and teeth, and heat that warmed Arthur from the tip of his head to the ends of his toes. He gripped onto Merlin tightly, clutching at his shoulder and the small of his back, not wanting to ever let go. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is a short little thing so probably not amazing but I hope it was a good read anyway :) xx


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